System and method for auditing and reconciliation of telephone service providers' databases with a regional or central data repository

• US 7,263,533 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Button, Ross Edward, Sauve, Steve, Sommers, Francis Cornelius, Holmes, Ralph, Howlette, Samuel S, McQuigge Ernst, Susan Jane, Cavanagh, Mike, Kalyn, William, Germann, Kevin, Bauer, Deborah L
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black; Linh
• Application Number:
  US10/439,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20040024765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1-1041
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/005 Personal communication services, e.g. provisions for portability of subscriber numbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/951 Calendar or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for auditing and reconciliation of a telephone service provider'"'"'s database and a central or regional repository. Both the database and repository contain data records. The data records include telephone number porting information that facilitates tracking and porting of telephone numbers. The system comprises interface means between a service provider'"'"'s database and the repository. The method includes user interface which facilitates selection of auditing and reconciliation choices, including amount of date to be analyzed and downloaded, the type of data and data processing application and time of operation.

Claims

1. A method for performing an auditing and reconciliation process of telephone service providers'"'"' databases with a data repository, the databases and repository each storing telephone data records, the method comprising:

receiving a first input data set;

receiving an instruction to execute a first auditing subroutine to audit data in a local telephone service provider'"'"'s database based upon data in the data repository, wherein the first auditing subroutine facilitates management of data records relating to local number porting information for the local telephone service provider;

executing the first auditing subroutine on the first input data set;

receiving a second input data set;

receiving an instruction to execute a second auditing subroutine to audit data in a long distance telephone service provider'"'"'s database based upon data in the data repository, wherein the second auditing subroutine facilitates management of data records relating to local number porting information for the long distance telephone service provider; and

executing the second auditing subroutine on the second input data set.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input auditing time associated with at least one of the first input data set or the second input data set, wherein the auditing time is at least one of an on demand auditing time or scheduled auditing time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input data set represents at least one of a subset of data in the local telephone service provider'"'"'s database or all of the data in the local telephone service provider'"'"'s database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving results from the first auditing subroutine;

extracting information from the results;

formatting the extracted information; and

writing the formatted extracted information to a storage device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting the formatted extracted information to the local telephone service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise telephone number porting information that defines how to route a telephone call from a first telephone service provider to a second telephone service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise a change in the data repository.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise telephone network data and subscription information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise at least one activated telephone number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise at least one deactivated telephone number.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise at least one modified telephone number.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data records comprise at least one local number portability request.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second auditing subroutines comprises a data records processing application associated with one of a network control system or a voice network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first auditing subroutine comprises a first data records processing application that facilitates management of data records relating to local number porting information for local telephone service providers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first data records processing application is associated with a metro network.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first auditing subroutine includes a data records processing application that facilitates management of data records related to local and long distance numbers for nonresidential telephone service providers.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a third auditing subroutine associated with an automatic number identifier reference information system.

18. A system for performing auditing and reconciliation of telephone service providers'"'"' databases, the system comprising:

a telephone data repository comprising data records, the data records comprising telephone number portability information; and

a subsystem comprising at least one data records processing application for facilitating the extraction of data records from the telephone data repository and communication of data records to the telephone service providers'"'"' databases, wherein the at least one data records processing application is configured to;

provide a menu that includes a selection for a scheduled audit of data and a selection for an on demand audit of data, wherein when performing a scheduled audit of data or an on demand audit of data for a local telephone service provider, the at least one data records processing application is further configured to;

receive a first input data set,

receive an instruction to execute a first auditing subroutine to audit data in the local telephone service provider'"'"'s database based upon data in the telephone data repository, wherein the first auditing subroutine facilitates management of data records relating to local number porting information for the local telephone service provider, and

execute the first auditing subroutine on the first input data set, and when performing a scheduled audit of data or an on demand audit of data for a long distance telephone service provider, the at least one data records processing application is further configured to;

receive a second input data set,

receive an instruction to execute a second auditing subroutine to audit data in a long distance telephone service provider'"'"'s database based upon data in the telephone data repository, wherein the second auditing subroutine facilitates management of data records relating to local number porting information for the long distance telephone service provider, and

execute the second auditing subroutine on the second input data set.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

the local telephone service provider'"'"'s database, wherein the local telephone service provider'"'"'s database includes telephone number porting information.

20. A method for facilitating an auditing and reconciliation process of data in telephone service providers'"'"' databases with a data repository, the database for each of the telephone service providers and the data repository each storing telephone data records, the method comprising:

receiving a selection identifying at least one first data set in a first telephone service provider'"'"'s database;

receiving a selection for executing a first one of a plurality of auditing subroutines, the first auditing subroutine comprising a data record processing application for auditing telephone number portability information for the first telephone service provider based upon data in the data repository, wherein the first telephone service provider is a local telephone service provider;

executing the first auditing subroutine on the selected at least one first data set;

generating results from the executed first auditing subroutine;

receiving a selection identifying at least one second data set;

receiving a selection for executing a second one of the plurality of auditing subroutines, the second auditing subroutine comprising a data record processing application for auditing telephone number portability information for use in an automatic number identifier reference information system;

executing the second auditing subroutine on the selected at least one second data set; and

generating results from the executed second auditing subroutine.

21. A system, comprising:

a telephone data repository containing data records, the data records comprising telephone number portability information; and

an audit subsystem configured to;

execute at least one data records processing application to facilitate the extraction of data records from the telephone data repository in response to a request from a first local telephone service provider, the at least one data records processing application, when executed by the audit subsystem, comparing information in the telephone data repository to information in a database associated with the first telephone service provider, and updating the database associated with the first local telephone service provider based on the comparing,

execute at least one data records processing application to facilitate extraction of data records from the telephone data repository in response to a request from a long distance service provider, the at least one data records processing application, when executed by the audit subsystem, comparing information in the telephone data repository to information in a database associated with the long distance service provider and updating the database associated with the long distance service provider based on the comparing, and

execute at least one data records processing application to facilitate extraction of data records from the telephone data repository in response to a request from a business entity that uses an automatic number identifier system for received telephone calls, the at least one data records processing application, when executed by the audit subsystem, comparing information in the telephone data repository to information in a database associated with the business entity and updating the database associated with the business entity based on the comparing.